When the words ‘The Matrix’ are mentioned the first thing that comes to mind is probably the film by the same name. And this was a film that had a profound influence on many people. This was not only because of the quality of the film, but also because of the questions it made people ask and contemplate after they had watched it.

For many people it was nothing more than a very well made science fiction film and taken literally and to others it was seen as a metaphor for something much deeper and greater than the film alone could ever express.

Unplugging

One of the common expressions that were heard after people had watched 'The Matrix' was ‘To unplug from The Matrix’. However, although this saying and the word ‘The Matrix’ sounded good, it didn’t mean much to the average person.

What was one meant to unplug from? And what was one meant to do instead? Did one have to completely leave reality altogether in order to unplug from the matrix or was there another interpretation?

My Interpretation

What is going to be read in the proceeding parts of this article is based on my own interpretation of what the Matrix means. It is of course neither the write interpretation and neither is it the only interpretation.

This interpretation has come about recently and is based on my current level of awareness.

The Beginning

I recently came into contact with something I had heard about a number of years ago. At the time it didn’t seem to mean much or have any real significance to my own life. Someone I knew was really into it and couldn’t speak highly enough of it. And What I heard this person talk about was ‘the tribal mind’. I thought it sounded good, but that’s as far as it went.

That was until now; where I have became aware of the same words again and this time they mean so much more. I then saw the connection between ‘The Matrix’ and the ‘Tribal Mind’.

The Tribal Mind

So what is the tribal mind? As I see it, the tribal mind, is, in the simplest of terms, the part of us that is conditioned by the environment that we are born into. And included in this environment is our family of origin, our society of origin and the perceptions that both of these create within us.

Another name for this could be the collective consciousness. This is something that we are all a part of. And yet there are certain individuals who have graced this earth, both in the past and in the present that are not bound by the tribal mind, the matrix or the collective consciousness. They have been able to break away from it.

This also means that the tribal mind is kept in place and supported by and through individuals. However, due to different reasons; the majority of people do not realise this and instead often feel controlled by the tribal mind.

The Consequences Of The Tribal Mind

So now that we have a description of what the tribal mind is made up of; the question is: how does this effect each one of us on an individual level and on what we can achieve?

When it comes to describing the consequences and the effects of the tribal mind, I would describe them as often being the result of unspoken rules and paradigms that are taken to be the absolute truth. That is to say; there is no question or doubt that these views are true.

These truths and paradigms can relate to every area of our individual life and to the society we live in and as an extension of that - the world. This can relate to what is somewhat significant and also to areas that are extremely significant.

Examples

Whether one is happy, healthy, successful, or wealthy can depend upon the views of the tribe that they belong to and to the larger tribe of society, that they are a part of. And whether something is seen as possible or impossible will also depend on the tribal perspectives that one has come to associate with.

Often many of the solutions that are required within individual tribes and larger tribes (societies) often exist on the outside of the tribe. And because of this are overlooked through fear or due to the tribe being unaware of these solutions. This could be a consequence of the ego mind that is programmed and only sees what it has been conditioned to see.

The Status Quo

This all leads to a general perception of what life is and what is possible to achieve. However, unless one is aware of the tribal mind and how it functions; one will conclude that this is how life is. It is unlikely that one will ever question or challenge the status quo.

And because one’s mind has been programmed from day one by the environment that there in; they will usually only see what they have been conditioned to see. If they are exposed to seeing anything else, it could easily be seen as an anomaly or as a consequence of the other person or people being different or lucky. One’s mind will hold onto this conditioning through the ego minds tendency of associating the same with what is safe.

Breaking Away From The Tribal Mind

This is, in my view, the biggest challenge in breaking away from the tribal mind. Through the minds associations of the same being safe and our early experiences of our own survival being based on pleasing others; we can sabotage our own happiness and truth to belong to the tribe.

Other people who are affected by the tribe mentality will, out of their own unawareness’, create obstacles for another. This is because they are trapped by the paradigms that the tribal mind has created, and as a result will often do what they can to keep another from breaking away.

This is one reason why the tribal mind is not something that is easy to break out of. And being rejected or not being accepted, taps into deep survival issues. Another explanation as to why this could hold such power is because of ancestral memories from way back; where if one were to be rejected from the tribe it would likely lead to death.

So even though in today’s society it is not as relevant as it was back then, the same associations have been passed from generation to generation. And unless one has looked at and processed these associations and traumas; one will still be affected.

Personal Power

The reason it is important for one to become conscious of these aspects and others, is so that one can be in their personal power. This power is what comes from within and is not based on external factors.

And what causes this power to be blocked is trauma and anything else that limits ones true expression. This can also be called self esteem or self worth. No matter what it is called; it is inherent in each one of us.

Until one has a certain level of personal power, it will be unlikely that one will be able to 'Unplug' from the ‘Tribal Mind’ or ‘The ‘Matrix’. And this is because the power of the tribe will be too strong for one to break away.

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